The box office continued its major recovery on Friday following weeks of disappointing returns, as Prometheus and Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted both opened forcefully, building on Snow White and the Huntsman‘s success last weekend.

Ridley Scott’s Prometheustopped the box office on Friday following strong midnight showings with an impressive $21.4 million haul. The $130 million R-rated picture is headed for a weekend gross of about $56 million, but surprisingly, that won’t be enough to earn first place for the weekend.

Dreamworks’ Madagascar 3 scored a blazing $20.5 million on its debut day — a full 16 percent higher than the first Friday of 2008’s Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa, which scored $17.6 million on Friday and opened with $63.1 million. Because family films play well throughout the weekend, Madagascar 3, which cost $145 million, should overtake Prometheus at the box office tonight and finish the frame with about $70 million.

Last weekend’s victor, Snow White and the Huntsman, stuck around in third place yesterday, dropping 63 percent from last Friday to $7.5 million. The blockbuster’s second weekend decline should stabilize over the rest of the frame, ending up closer to 55 percent, which would give Snow White a $26 million weekend and $101 million total.

Men In Black 3 and The Avengers rounded out the Top 5 on Friday with grosses of $4.2 million and $3.3 million, respectively. MIB 3 may finish the weekend with $14 million, while Avengers will rake in another $11.5 million.

All in all, things are looking up at the box office in a big, big way!

1. Prometheus – $21.4 million

2. Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted – $20.5 million

3. Snow White and the Huntsman – $7.5 million

4. Men In Black 3 – $4.2 million

5. The Avengers – $3.3 million

Check back tomorrow for the full box office report and follow me on Twitter for up-to-the-minute box office updates.

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